Tags:
Film: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Year: 1986
Director: John McNaughton
Writer: Richard Fire and John McNaughton
Starring: Michael Rooker, Tracy Arnold and Tom Towles
Review:
This is a fictional portrayal of the real life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. He was best known for getting the superstar treatment after he was arrested and confessing to hundreds of murders. Most of this could not be substantiated, so he was only convicted of 3 of the murders. This is a movie that I saw thanks to podcasts and gave it a rewatch in the theater at the Gateway Film Center for their Cult 101 series.
Synopsis: arriving in Chicago, Henry (Michael Rooker) moves in with ex-con acquaintance Otis (Tom Towles) and starts schooling him in the ways of the serial killer.
Despite coming late to see this one, I heard about it, but just had never gotten the opportunity to view it. After hearing different things on podcasts about how good this film was, I finally got around to it. This is a disturbing film in a different way from others I’ve seen in the past. Rooker’s portrayal of Henry is great. He is a solid character actor overall, but he fits this role perfectly. Henry is a quiet guy who any time that sexual tension builds, he bolts. We learn this is from his mother being a prostitute and making him watch as she would have sex with men. She would also make him wear dresses as well. There is true to this from what I read, which makes this even worse. The lasting effect this has on Henry is sad and scary at the same time.
Henry lives with his friend he met in prison, Otis. When we first meet him, he is picking his sister up as she is coming to stay with him for awhile as well. Her name is Becky (Tracy Arnold). Their relationship is also odd. Becky married a man who wasn’t good and beat her so she left him. We learn though that she has deep seeded issues as she was molested growing up by her father. She is drawn to Henry and his strength. Otis has his issues as well. He makes inappropriate passes at his sister and he’s not all there in the head either. His life changes though when Henry involves him in a murder and puts them down a path of insanity.
The crimes in this aren’t always overly graphic, but there’s a realism that is unnerving. I have seen worse on screen, but this affected me in a different way. Seeing their disregard for human life is sickening. Their portrayal is quite realistic. The effects used looked good as well, which adds to that realism. I was a fan of the work they did here. I should also say that this gives us the aftereffects so the crime scenes are staged. That adds something to help it not feel exploitive. There is still a grimy feel that adds to the atmosphere.
Editing was interesting as well. There’s almost a documentary vibe, but it isn’t found footage. You feel like you are with them and there are great shots with that. It was the choice to have long takes that run minutes long and they’re solid. To go from this, it was interesting that we never see a police officer in the film. There is a scene where we get a police car, but it does nothing as the men go and commit a murder. Otis is also on parole, but his parole officer that oversees him does very little to ensure that he is doing what he is supposed to. It is an interesting dynamic even today and bringing up issues with our judicial system. Guys like this can fall through the cracks. Something else to include here is that we get hard cuts. Things on screen will stop and we’ll go to a black screen. That adds to this feeling of harshness.
The sound design of the film is good as well. They film a crime they commit and we hear things before we see them on screen. This is also over top of murders where we see the outcome. It doesn’t have an overpowering score, but the selections were good. It helped to set the tone of the scenes for sure. I think this is definitely a positive of the film.
In conclusion, this is a difficult film to recommend. What we see is more subdued than others like it. That doesn’t lessen the impact of what happens though. The depravity of these two men and the acts they commit bothered me. The acting is the strongest point and the leads do an excellent job there. Credit to Rooker, Towles and Arnold. I thought that the filmmaking was also good. The cinematography, framing and effects leading the way there. I do think that the gritty and uncomfortable feeling won’t be for everyone. If you’re into that, give this a watch as it is a must see in my opinion.
My Rating: 8.5 out of 10